In conversation with Hugh Ip
Executive Producer Hugh Ip
1. Introduce yourself
I am Hugh Ip, and I am the founder of One Small Pixel, a moving image content agency.
2. What is your job title?
Executive Producer
3. Who looks after the kids when you are working?
My wife and I both work full time and we have two kids. As my office is so close to home, I am able to do the drop offs every day and we often put them in After School Club from 3:30pm-6pm between 3-4 times a week. As my work is more flexible I try to make time to collect them from school at least 1-2 days a week but we always have After School Club as a fallback.
4. How long did you take off work after having your baby?
Feels like a long time ago now(!) but I was working full time at an agency at that point in time, so 2 weeks was the max you could take so I took it. I wish I could have taken more.
5. Would you say that you have a good work/life balance?
In the first few years as the company was finding its feet, it was definitely more work than life to a degree you could not imagine, but now there is another director of the company and the company is over 5 years old now, it is much better.
6. Are you job sharing or working flexibly?
As the owner of the company, I am very lucky to be able to work flexibly.
7. What do you think is the hardest part of being a working in media/film/tv industry and being a parent?
It’s very easy to let your work consume you and dictate your lifestyle, so don’t let it - as a parent, your kids and family need you more than your career does.
8. What are your tips for any other men out there wanting to have kids and keep a career in film?
The industry has a reputation for long hours, it’s very easy to accept that and say that’s the way it is and there is nothing you can do about it. That is of course fine if you are not a parent and you want to embrace that lifestyle (and I’m not saying it's a bad thing if you do) but if you do want kids, you have to accept that you have to operate differently, change your mindset and adapt accordingly - how you do that warrants a book in itself (and I can recommend a few!).
The truth is that you can still have a very successful career in film as a parent, you just need to set it up right and if you get that right, people will respect you even more than before you had kids.
9. Any advice for anyone about to return to work after paternity leave?
Whether you like it or not, being a parent forces you to think about your life and priorities in a different way, so before you return to work, I’d make sure that your employer understands how things might be different for you now, and what you would like from them to support you. So in summary, be proactive and ask for what you want.
10. What advice did you wish someone had given you?
To not wish your kids would quickly grow up so you can get on with some work :-)